Translucent wall, ceiling, and floor structure



April 24, 1928. 1,667,484

P. LIESE TRANSLUCENT WALL, CEILING, AND FLOOR STRUCTURE Filed April 1. 1927 I 1 z I I fizz/anion Pazzllzas'e Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PAUL LIESE, OE BERLIN-.TEMPELH OF, GERMANY.

' mnANsLUoEN'r WALL, CEILING, AND rnoon s'rnuorunn.

Application filed April '1, 1927, Seria1 No. 180,126, and in Germany February 17, 1925.

My invention relates to improvements in translucent wall, ceiling and floor structures and the blocks used in the said structures, 9 and more particularly in structures consist-' ing of hollow glass blocks made in sectionsand assembled by means of a suitable binding medium such as concrete; One of the objects of the improvements is to provide a structure in which broken glass blocks or 10 block sections can be removed without in- ,juring other blocks or block sections. As now practised the sectional blocks have been united by means of a su" able binding Y medium disposed between th same, and if one of the sections is broken, it cannot be removed without injuring the corresponding section, by reason of the intimate connection between the said I sectional blocks. Therefore, in myimproved structure the sectional blocks are assembled so that they are united with the concrete only around their circumferences, while the admission of the binding medium to the adjacent faces of the sectional blocks is prevented, the said adjacent faces'of the sectional blocks compris-' ing a portion orportions which are dis osed transversely or angularly of. the sai adjacent faces. Thus, if one of the sections of a block is broken, it can be readily removed from the structure without injuring the corresponding section, which is not directly connected therewith. v

. Another object of th improvementsis to provide a structure 0 the class referred to in which the atmospheric influences on the binding medium connecting the blocks are reduced to a minimum, and with this object in view my invention consists in providing the block sections at their outer parts 10 with circumferential flanges, and assembling the blocks into the structure so that the said flanges and adjacent blocks are in close} proximity so as to leave a small gap between the same, the blocks bein heldtogether and 5 supported by means 0% a comparatively strong bod of the binding medium enclosed between adjacent blocks and the inner faces of the said flanges. Thus the body of thebinding medium is protected as against at- 0 'mospheric' influences.

For the purpose of explainin the invention several. examples embodying 5m same have been shown in the accompanying drawing, in which the same letters of reference have been used in all the views,'to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawing,

Fig. 1, is a sectional planview of a structure, 1 Fig. 2, is an elevation of a part of the structure, and

Figs. 3 and/l, are sectional plan views similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating modifications. j

In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the upright wall consists of hollow blocks of glass each divided longitudinally into two sections 1 and 2 and assembled so as to include hollow spaces 3 between the same. The said sections are reduced in cross-section from the outer to the inner or adjacent faces, and in the example shown in Fig.1 the-end faces of the sectional blocks are in the form of steps. Thusthe sections of each block make contact with each other along comparatively narrow inner flanges '4, and at their outer sides the blocks are'formed with flanges 5. The adjacent surfaces 6 of the flanges 4 are inclined relatively to the blocks, so that the space 7 included between the said surfaces is deformed by being likewise inclined relatively tothe blocks totherebg ret-ard the flow of the binding medium t erethrough. i

The sections 1, 2 are assembled in the manner known in the art, and they are placed one beside the other, whereupon the spaces provided between the adjacent ends of the blocks are filled with concrete 8. In some cases the said concrete is reinforced by iron bars9. In a similar way the blocks 90 placed one above the other are united by concrete or reinforced concrete filling out the horizontal spaces between the blocks. In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and'3, the blocks are placed in close proximity to each other, so that'the spaces 10 between the flanges 5 are reducedto a minimum.

When filling the lastic concrete 8 Into the spacesbetween t e blocks, the said concrete cannot pass into the inclined spaces provided between the faces 6 of the inner flanges 4, or, at least, a very small amount of concrete passes into the said spaces. Thus the space 7, or the major part thereof, remains unfilled. If new one of the sections 1 1 or 2 is broken, it can be readily removed from the wall or other structure without injuring the corresponding section of the block, the said corresponding section being held in the meantime by its adhesion to the concrete 8 at its ends, which forms practically the sole connecting means between the sections. readily removed from the said concrete, because each section 1, 2 is reduced in crosssection from the outside to the inner side thereof, and the concrete 8 is easily broken off. Thus the structure can be readily repaired by placing a new sectional block into the space from which the broken block section has been removed.

B providing each section with a flange 5 as s own in Figs, 1 and 3, the concrete 8 is exposed to the action of the atmosphere only through the narrow space 10, the major part thereof being covered and. protected by the,

flanges 5. Thus the structure is not injured by destruction of the concrete. This feature is particularly important in structures which are exposed to the action of acid vapors having a strong destructive action on the concrete. Preferably, any concrete which might get into the spaces 10 is removed, in order to prevent direct connection of the end faces of the flanges 5.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the adjacent faces 12 and 14 of the flanges 11 and 13 are deformed by making them respective- 1y1 concave and convex. When assembling t e sections 1 and 2 and filling the concrete 8 into the spaces between the blocks, the said concrete cannot get to a large extent into the joints or spaces 15, because the said spaces include portions transverse to the length of the block, or in other words, transverse to the plane of the wall.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4 the adjacent flanges of the blocks are deformed by making them with stepped or rabbeted end faces, so that the space between the same includes a transverse portion 19 disposed perpendicularly to the length of the blocks, or, differently stated, perpendicular to the plane of the wall, and portions 16 disposed parallel thereto.

In this modification, the sections 1 and 2 may be united into a block at the factory by applying layers 20 of concrete to the ends of the sections to hold them together. When applying these layers of concrete, it may happen that a small amount of the fresh concrete passes into the adjacent portion of The broken block section can be the space between the sections, but it cannot penetrate therein to a material depth because the transverse portion 19 obstructs it. When assembling the blocks into a wall structure or the like they are united with each other by filling concrete 8 into the spaces provided between the same.

In the foregoing detailed description reference has been made to a vertical wall, but I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to such use, and that it may be generally usedin the manufacture of horizontal or inclined walls such as floors, ceilings or roofs.

I claim: 7

1. As an article of manufacture, a translucent hollow blockdivided longitudinally into two sections, the adjacent or meeting faces of said sections having portions disposed transversely and a binding medium at opposite ends of the block for uniting the sections thereof.

2. Aihollow building block divided longitudin'ally into two sections, said sections forming the opposite faces of the block and having adjacent or meeting surfaces, said surfaces having portions extending transversel of the length of the block to prevent fi ow of concrete into the space between the sections.

3. A hollow building block divided longitudinall into two sections, said sections having a jacent or meeting surfaces, said surfaces having portions extending transversely of the length of the block to prevent flow of concrete into the space between the sections, and layers of concrete extending across the ends of said sections tounite the sections into a block. r

4. A building structure comprising translucent blocks divided longitudinally 'into sections forming the opposite faces of the block and having adjacent surfaces, a binding medium between the adjacent ends of the blocks, said surfaces being deformed to obstruct the flow of said binding medium therebetween, the cross-sectional area of each section decreasing from the face to said surface so that thesect-ion is held in place .by adhesion to the binding medium rather than by interlocking therewith.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

- PAUL LIESE.

of the length ofthe block, 

